Street-sweeper.



M. J. KANE.

STREET SWEEPER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1e, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented Oct. 5, 1909.

M. J. KANE. STREET SWEEPBR. APPLIOATION FILED Mule, 1907.

Patented 00E. 5, 1909. -z SHEETS-SHEET s.

UNITED srafras Sneeeation ci `Letters Estant.

Patented @et 5, 1969.

Application inea may ic, isc?. serial no. 373,904.

To all whom it 'muy concern:

Be it known that I, lvlicHnEL J. KANE, a citizen of the United States, residing at ldlorcester, in the county of Worcester and State of lil:essachusetts, have invented a, new and useful Street-Sweeper, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a street sweeper of the variety which comprises a vehicle adapted to be drawn by horses or propelled in any desired manner along the streets and provided with a seat for the operator.

The principal objects of theinvention are to provide means whereby the sweeping brush can be eiciently. operated from the wheels of the vehicle and the conveyer which takes the material swept up from the brash can also be operated in a convenient way in a similar manner; to provide a simple arrangement for connecting the conveyer and brush with and disconnecting them from operating mechanism controlled from the drivers seat; to provide means for hold- ,ingthe brush at the proper elevation and simple means for raising the brush and conveyer opera-ted from the seat ,of thedriver; and to provide an improved form of gutter which will be automatically yadjustable to'swe'ep the gutters and deposit its sweepings 4in front of the sweeping brush so constructed that irregularities in the in the course of the street sweeper will not 'prevent lthe etlicient opera.- tion ot the gutter brus Other objects ot the invention are to provide an improved form of conveyor which Willtake all the material from the brush;

to provide means wherebbr the lifting of the conveyer will not interfere with the driving connections; and to provide convenient ineans for removing vehicle body.

Further objects and advantages of the` invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred torni of the invention and in which,v

Figure l is a plan of a streetsweeper embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the saine. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side .elevation partly in section showing the relation ot' the sweeping brush and the conveyer. l? 4 is a fragmentary plan of the saine. Fig. 1s side elevatlon of the adjusting mechanism for the sprocket shaft of the conveyex Fig. 6 is a plan ,of one of the the 4sweepings from the frames for covering the open side of the conveyer. Fig. 7 is a plan of the gutter brush, and Fig. 8 is a central horizontal sectional View of the saine.

ln its preferred form 'the invention is embodied in a structure as indicated, in which a vehicle body 1,0, provided to supportthe rest of the apparatus is of such a character that it can liedrawn by horses or the like -or iropelled automatically if desired.

n the hub of one ofthe rear wheels 11 is a. sprocket-wheel 1 2 which, by means ot a chain 13, drives a sprocket wheel 1l on a shaft whichhas a' gear 16 meshing with the gear 17 on a longitudinallyY movable shaft 18 mounted in bearin s 19 on the body of the vehicle. This sha t 18 is provided with a pair of collars 20 between which is a lever having a handle 22 located adjacent to the seat E23 for the operator. It will be obvious that by manipulating this lever, the gear l? can be thrown out oi" niesh with the gear 16. v`When it is in 1nesh,however. it' operates through a sprocket' wheel and a chain to rotate' a sprocket wheel 26 on a shaft 2 on which the sweeping brush 28 is located. The hub of the other rear wheel has a sprocket wheel connected by a chain 31 with a sprocket wheel on a shaft 33, which has a gear 34 meshing with a pinion 35 on a longitudinally movable shaft 36 mounted to slide in bearings 3'4" on the body: of the vehicle. This shaft has collars 3S between which is the end o't-a lever 3f) having a handle 40 located in proximity to the seat 23 and operated in the saine manner as the' lever 21. The shaft 36 is provided with a sprocket wheel 41 connected by a chain 42 with a sprocket wheel 43 which is mounted on an adjustable shaft lll which carries sprocket wheels 4 5 on which au endless chain conveyor 4G isinounted. This `conveyor is provided with projections 47 to which arc secured L-shaped flights 4S and passes over drums/49 on a lower shaft 50. The lower shaft is so located that the iiights 48 engage the surface of the brush 28 as they move downwardly from the drum 45) and wipe the dirt therefrom, depositing it in a casino' 51 inwhich the endless conveyor is mounted. This casing is provided with a curved bot'- tom .52 for receiving the sweepings.

` The flights 48 in vtheir upward movement, pass along the {ioor of the conveyor and serve to carry all the material therein upwardly and discharge it from the receptacle.

The shaft 44 is mounted in movable bearings 53 which slide in ways 54 in the upper end of the sides ofthe casing of the conveyor. These bearings are provided with adjusting screws' 55 whereby the conveyor can be adjustedin any desired way.

In order that the gutters may be properly I swept, the shaft 36 is provided with an additional sprocket wheel 56 which transmits power -through a chain 57 to a shaft 58,

which in turn transmits power by a chain 59 additional fact that the curbs and gutters are sometimes irregular, the brush 62 is made automaticallyadjustable. This is done by providing theshaft l with a spline 63 and mounting a bushing 64 thereon so that it will be free to slide along the shaft. A second bushing 65 is also mount-ed on the shaft.

The brush itself comprises a cylinder GG which is secured to the bushings Gat and (55. This cylinder is provided with a plate G7 at its end and between the end of the shaft (Sl and this plate is located a spring- G8. This spring obviously tends to force the end of the cylinder away from the end of the shaft and to hold the gutter brush as far out as possible. 1When the plate (57 engages the curb, the brush is forced yieldingly inwardlyy so as to follow the curb in an obvious manner.

The'upper side of the conveyor casing is open and is adapted' to be closed by means of a series of framesjTO, each being,` covered by a sheet of canvas 71 or other textile ma* To these frames aresecured hinges terial. 72 each of which has a butt 73 provided with a slot 74: adapted to be fastened to the side of the casing, by means of a projection 75 thereon and a cotter pin 76 or the like. By means of this arrangement, the trames can be readily removed to permit the interior of the conveyer to be inspected, cleaned or repaired.

The elevator casing carrying` the shafts 27, 44 and 50 and the bracket (20`is supported at the rear by a pair of arms 80, These arms are pivotally connected with brackets 8l at the rear of the body of the vehicle and are fixedly secured to the casing` of the conveyor. Obviously the arms are adapted to swing` downnuirdly as far as may be desired and the limit of their motion in this direction is provided for by means ofl pairs of screw threaded rods 82, one of each pair of -which is loosely connected with a frame and the other with the body of the vehicle. These rods are connected by a turn nadeel' buckle 83 so that their combined length may be adjusted to bring the lower surface of the two brushes to the proper elevation.

lior the purpose of raising each arm, a

chain or other flexible connection .Se is connected with it and is adapted to be wound on a drum 85 which .is provided with a worm wheel 86 meshing with a worm 8 7 on. a shaft 88 which is provided with a hand wheel 89 in position to be operated from the seat 23.

In order that the chain 42 may be lona' enough to permit the conve er to be raised in this way, 4it is provide with a. chain tightener .consisting of a roller or wheel 90 connected'with the easing ofthe conveyor by a spring,` 91. W'ith a construction like this the cham can be made of any convenient length to permit the conveyer to be raised and as it is raised, the chain tightener moves up with it so as to vallow the chain to bebrought into taut position.

The conveyor casing has slots linto which a rod extends to guide the casing in its movement. The contentsvof the con-- veyer are discharged into a receptacle 93 located toturn? onvlongitudinal axes on the body of the vehicle. 0n account of this, the

4which is mounted on a series of rollers 94- receptacle can easily be removed at one side y and another one substituted.

While l have illustrated and described a particular form in which l prefer to embody my invention, .ll am aware that many changes may be made therein by a skilled mechanic without departing from the Scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore, I -do not wish to be limited to the construction shown, but

W hat l do claim is l. In a street sweeper, the combination with a vehicle body, of an elevator casing or support movably mounted 'thereon and extending below the body, inclined arms ex tending upwardly and rearwardly from the bottom ef the casingand ivoted at their upperendsto the vehicle. b y, a iexible adinstable device depending substantially vertically from the vehicle body and connected with said arms for limiting the lowermostposition of the conveyer casing, and means l connected with said arms and extending upwardly forward for raising and lowering said casingq independent of said limiting device. v

2. In a street sweeper, 'the combination with a vehicle body, of an elevator casing or support movably mounted thereon and eX- y vwith said arms for limiting` the lowermost position of the conveyor casing, means connected with said arms and extending npwardly forward -for raising and lowering said lcasing,independent of said limiting device, a main brush mounted on said arms, a

brush supported by said casing, and meanson the body for driving said brushes.

8. ln a street sweeper, the combination -with a vehicle body, of an elevator casing orl support inovably mounted thereon inclined downwardly at the rear and extending below the'body, inclined arms extending upwardly and rearwardly from the bottom of the casing and pivoted at their upper ends to the vehicle body, a flexible adjustable device depending substantially vertically from the ve-v hicle body and connected with said arms for limiting the lowermost position of the conently of said limiting device, a conveyer in the casing,A a chain for Kdriving the conveyer and yielding means cdnnected with the casing for keeping the driving chain taut in all positions of the conveyer casing.

t. A street sweeping machine provided with a brush having a shaft located at an angle to the line of movement of the machine and at one side thereof, a pair of bushings on said shaft one of which is splined thereto so as to be slidable freely along the shaft, a cylinder mounted on .said bushinfs and a spring between the end of the shaft and the end of the cylinder for normally holding the cylinder in a certain position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MICHAEL J. KANE. Witnesses:

ALBERT E. FAY, CATHARINE I. HARTNETT; 

